Friday, October 5, 2012

Coffee Cans And Electricity

Jack of all trades, I think this could be my official title, as I mentioned in a post from a while back “Jack of all trades, Master of none, is a term used when referring to someone who is competent when it comes to many jobs or skills, but at the same time has never been particularly outstanding in any”.

I think this applies to a lot of us, I can work on a car and fix minor problems but when asked, “What is that noise?” I have no idea, basically I can take stuff apart and put it back together in reverse order and make it work, but diagnosing mechanical problems is not my thing.

Bring home something in a box and the last thing I look at is the directions, most of the things I put together stay that way, and just look at all the extra stuff I gather to add to my junk cans, you never know when you are going to need a little round blue plastic thingie, and if you do I most likely have one, I only have to find the correct junk can.

What is a junk can you ask, all of you guys out there already know, it is one of the many empty coffee cans you just couldn’t stand to throw out, you never know when you are going to need a good coffee can, and they make excellent places to store left over pieces and parts you just cant stand to throw away either.
My wife claims that I could be a hoarder because of this, but her tune sure changes when she needs a little round blue plastic thingie, and I happen to have one, I am a hero then and after I install the little plastic thingie, I am once again a hoarder.

Construction is a job I did in the past, we put together a lot of buildings, but to make a long story short I learned just enough about working with wood to keep me out of trouble, Electricity is a different story as many of my longtime readers know, Do You Need An Electrician is one to look back on for a refresher if you want.

I worked for a water utility company for about fifteen years and learned how to put pipes in the ground that carry water to the community, I also learned how to repair those pipes when they leak, I repaired water meters and went out to peoples homes for service calls and to collect their past due bills.

Did this make me a plumber, heck no I suck at plumbing, but I did earn a “Master Of BS Award” for keeping myself alive while collecting in the wrong part of town, basically you just have to treat people the way you want to be treated, it’s no BS and it’s simple as that when dealing with people.

Construction Worker, Mechanic, Plumber, Electrician, Customer Service Rep, lets all get together and sing YMCA because if I keep going I most likely can throw in an Indian, Cowboy, and a Cop, but seriously am I any of the above.

I learned a lot over the years by doing different jobs and paying attention to people when they talk, I claim no title except for Jack of all trades, it’s not so bad to know a little about everything, that is the way the world works, because contrary to popular belief none of us will ever know it all.

Dude Write

40 comments:

  1. Junk cans? You have no idea how many we have. I personally would have like things together but....they are Hunter's collection and sometimes it is fun for me just to listen to him swear and throw things around cuz he can't find what he wants.
    My 2nd (late) husband was a "Jack of all trades and a master of none." That's the best kind of man to have around. I applaude you!

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    1. Thank You MC, I appreciate you, the good thing about a junk can is you can dump it out on the garage floor, pick out what you need, then scoop it all back up and into the can, this way the organizing is easy Ha Ha

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  2. My (late) Dad and my oldest Son definitely qualify as Jack's of all trades! I save coffee cans for my Son and he's overdue to come get the stash I've stowed. Need some?

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    1. Hey Ms. A, You never know after my next project I just may need a few more cans, I'll let you know for sure :)

      Your Son sounds like he got being a Jack of all trades from your Dad, its good to pass it down.

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  3. I love me some coffee cans and never throw away a screw or nail. If I need a specific screw or nail it may take some time, but I will find it.

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    1. Same here Joe, I may not know exactly where it is but I know I have it :)

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  4. I'd love to be a jack of all trades. In truth, I'm not skilled in many things. I'm a great problem solver but I can't fix anything mechanical. Like you said, you can't know everything.

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    1. Hi Stephen, From what I know of you, the things you do know well makes up for any lack of mechanical skill, somebody has to be the brains of the bunch ;^)

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  5. hmmm wonder if it is a man thing...

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    1. Hi Bev, It could be a man thing I suppose :)

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  6. I'm a Jack of All Trades where computers are concerned and I have bins of computer parts that I should probably pitch, but you never know when a 40mb hard drive will come in handy or a 5 1/4 floppy drive!

    Great topic and welcome to Dude Write! Let the hazing begin.

    WG

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    1. Welcome WG and thank you for the welcome to Dude Write,

      You know that it is against the law to throw stuff like that away, you never know what you can do with a 5 1/4 floppy, but isn't that against the law too :)

      Good to see you WG, hope to see you again soon.

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  7. My hubby is loving our new house because he finally has a real workshop. Not that he has any real projects, but now he has a big room for all his junk cans!

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    1. Bijoux, That is kind of the same situation I have here, I am so used to having everything inside a one car garage, and now I have this large shop, more room for cans :)

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  8. Jimmy, you and I are same!

    A Jack of All Trades!

    If I ever counted the different jobs I've had throughout my life, I would lose count because I've had SO MANY!

    But you know what? I like be a Jack of All Trades because....

    "....it’s not so bad to know a little about everything, that is the way the world works, because contrary to popular belief none of us will ever know it all."

    Amen! Plus, we know a lot about EVERYTHING!

    "Bring home something in a box and the last thing I look at is the directions."

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm the same way, I NEVER read the directions. I would rather put something together by just figuring it out.

    Grrrrreat post, buddy!

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    1. Hey Ron, I seriously would rather have the experience in many jobs and know a little about them all than to know nothing at all about all but one.

      I think the directions are there just in case we get stumped, no other reason..Right?

      Thank you and Good to see you Buddy

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  9. Don't knock the "I claim no title except for Jack of all trades" - on a resume, this is called "a wide variety of skills."

    I'm more the opposite when it comes to reading directions (I think it's a German trait). I read them and follow them. It's very anal retentive, which on a resume is called "detail oriented."

    :-)

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    1. "a wide variety of skills." I like that, and I have a feeling that you are this also in addition to being detail oriented :^)

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  10. A man who knows a bit about everything is invaluable in my book 'cause I'm the DIY person in my house. Yes, I'm a Jill of all trades, or nearly all. I have junk containers in many forms, plastic, glass, and tin, all labelled to help hubby identify what's what.....grins. You want a screw, you can bet your bottom dollar I have one that will fit. I only read instructions when I'm stuck... much to hubby's disgust. He will sit and read through them and not have a clue what it's all about when he's finished. So I repeat ... a man who knows a bit about everything is invaluable... smiles.

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    1. Hi Valerie, I have a feeling there are quite a few Jill of all trades out there also, I never got around to labeling my cans and still just throw random things into each, half the fun is the search I suppose.

      Knowing a little about everything sure gets us going in the right direction :)

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  11. That "hoarding" stuff reminded me of my grandma. That woman never threw out ANYTHING. She kept every ribbon, piece of string, can, etc. The amazing part is she had all of that junk fully organized and knew exactly where it all was.

    I recall one day I was helping her fix something and she guided me from her room, while I was in the kitchen - she said "if you open the left drawer in the center cupboard there's a little box, there should be a red string in it, use that one!"

    Welcome to DudeWrite, dude!

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    1. Hey Daniel, It is amazing how people can remember things that well, I can remember things I have held onto but their exact location comes down to "In one of those cans"

      Thanks for the welcome to Dude Write, and welcome to you to my place.

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  12. My hubby is a Jack of all trades, too, but comes darned close to being a master at many of them. He doesn't just have a junk can; he actually has multiple out-buildings, plus a huge detached garage and a workshop attached to the house, and they're all filled with "stuff." Disgustingly organized stuff. (Says the less-than-organized wife.) So one area holds amateur radio, computer, electrical, and various electronic parts; another holds car parts and scrap metal for fabricating; another has wood working stuff, etc. But he isn't much for reading instructions, either. Me? Whenever I get a new amateur radio, camera, computer, whatever, I always read the manual first. Him, he don't need no stinking manual. The world could use a lot more Jacks of all trades.

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    1. Hey Susan, Before we moved to CA I had so much stuff that I had a really hard time leaving it behind, a four bedroom house, garage and three out buildings can accumulate a lot of goodies, at our new place I have several cans going so far but I remember better what I had than what I have.

      Kudos to your Hubby for keeping it all together where he can find it, we may have to give him the title "Master Jack of all trades"

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  13. These bits and pieces always come in handy. When Mitch mends something, there are always parts left over which I'm sure belong somewhere, but he says it's ok without them.
    And, add to the fact that I quite like making Steampunk jewellery, these odd cogs and things come in quite useful.
    So, yes, I'm a hoarder!
    I never read instruction manuals either, to my shame, I recently bought a new iron, plugged it in, and started to smell a horrible smell...the plate had a film on it which I didn't remove...blush! That will teach me to look even if I don't read the manuals!

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    1. Megan, it seems there is a film on everything new these days, I don't know how many times I have discovered one a few days later, never on an iron as of yet and since you mentioned it I hope to remember :)

      Holding on to things does come in handy, as you mentioned if for nothing else the jewelery you make is definitely unique.

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  14. Knowing a little bit about everything goes a long way! I'll take one over "Master of one" any day!

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    1. Hi Abby, Master of one can take you far if you only have one subject, the world is made of many, so like you said knowing a little about everything goes a long way.

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  15. You have no idea how much I loved this post, I too am a Jill of all trades. Comes from being the product of a contractor's daughter and an ex-wife of a plumber/handyman/tech guy. (Not three ex-husbands, just one... we'll call him the ass of all trades) Then I was a single mom... so yeah, learned the hard way because I had too. You tube is a God send. :0)

    Tomorrow I am replacing all the switches and outlets in our bedroom so they match and are from this decade. Stay tuned... I may need a blue plastic thingy.

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    1. Hi Juli, I am glad you enjoyed this post and being a Jill of all trades is a good thing, before you change out all your outlets and switches remember to turn the electricity off, like you didn't know this already :) if you want a laugh go back and read Do You Need An Electrician before you change them out.

      Glad to have you join our little group here, and if you need the little blue plastic thingy just let me know.

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  16. Seems like I remember a blog about you and electricity not mixing so well. :-) I think I am a Jill of all hobbies. I have dabbled in so many interests, but none have stuck for long (blogging is my longest).

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    1. Hey Angelia, You most likely do remember that post :) I have a feeling you gave me some advice back then Ha Ha

      Hobbies are good things to dabble in, some like blogging end up being more than a hobby though ;^)

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  17. I used to be baffled by my Dad when I was younger at why he kept so much stuff, yet here I am at 35 and I do the same thing, you never know when you will need that blue plastic thing from the bookshelf you put together.

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    1. This is true Kevin, I can't count the times a little piece of something I saved came in handy down the road

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  18. I could carry the jack of all trades moniker as well, but it is not for any of the typical male skills. I am not good with wood, electricity or anything mechanical. But I'm a wiz with computers, telephones, photography, electronics and other type stuff.

    The rest of my family has the skills in the stereotypical male skills, so we do a lot of bartering to fix each others stuff. My brother comes to my house to unclog my sink and rewire an outlet, while I fix his computer and set up his home network.

    It works for us.

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    1. Hi Brett, Bartering is the way to go in my opinion, we all have things we are better at than others and swapping out those skills for some we just can't handle as well works for me.

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  19. Oh this little round blue plastic thingys

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    1. Sometimes you just don't know what they are but can make them work for something Ha Ha

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  20. I have too many cans of left-overs for that, need a certain item repair job. I've had to thin them out and it never fails. As soon as you do, that one thing you need was in the can that you tossed!

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    1. Yes Sir Ken, When we moved three years ago I tossed and gave away so much stuff and still to this day I am looking for things I know I had, with had being the key word.

      Welcome Ken, glad to have you join us here.

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